Alabama Law Enforcement Agency
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) is a department of the executive branch of the State of Alabama which is responsible for coordinating public safety operations. Its creation, made effective on January 1, 2015, was brought about by merging 12 existing state law enforcement agencies.
The department is headed by a Secretary, appointed by the Governor of Alabama. The secretary's office serves as the department's administrative division, coordinating budgets, grants, training and support services, as well as housing the state's Homeland Security Office and providing security protection for state officials and properties.
The other two divisions of ALEA include the Alabama Department of Public Safety (DPS), which issues drivers' and boat operators' licenses and operates the Alabama Highway Patrol and Alabama Marine Patrol; and the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) which conducts and supports criminal investigations and houses criminal records and registries, as well as the Alabama Fusion Center to analyze and manage federal, state, and local law enforcement data.
History
The merger of state law enforcement agencies was proposed by a "Public Safety Study Group" which was created in 2012 to recommend cost-saving measures with regard to 22 state agencies that had law enforcement duties. Of those 22, 12 were proposed to be merged into a new statewide agency, including the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board's enforcement division, the Alabama Bureau of Investigation, the Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center, the investigative branch of the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, the Alabama Department of Homeland Security, the Alabama Department of Public Safety, the Alabama Department of Revenue Enforcement, the investigative arm of the Alabama Forestry Commission, the Alabama Fusion Center, the Alabama Marine Police, the forensics laboratory formerly operated by the Alabama Office of Prosecution Services, and the enforcement division of the Alabama Public Service Commission
Del Marsh sponsored the bill in the 2013 session of the Alabama State Senate (SB 108). It was passed and became law (Act of Alabama 2013-67) with Governor Robert Bentley's signature on March 19 of that year. The act was entered into the Code of Alabama 1975 as Title 41, Chapter 27.
ALEA Secretaries
- Spencer Collier, January 1, 2015-February 17, 2016
- Stan Stabler, February 17, 2016-April 12, 2017
- Hal Taylor, April 12, 2017-
References
- Cason, Mike (March 12, 2013) "Bill to consolidate Alabama law enforcement agencies headed to governor." The Birmingham News
- "Merging 12 Alabama law enforcement agencies will increase safety, save money, officials say." (December 28, 2014) Associated Press/The Birmingham News
External links
- Alabama Law Enforcement Agency website